Rural Services Network

⏰Closing Friday

We’re recruiting a Rural Evidence Analyst to support RSN’s work as the national champion for rural services.

📊 Data-focused
🏡 Fully remote
⏱️ Part-time (22.5 hrs)

Apply by 20 Feb👉 rsnonline.org.uk/were-recruit...

#FairFunding #NationalChampion #DeliveringForAll

As the national voice for rural services, RSN is examining the Final Local Government Finance Settlement and its implications for rural councils.

Initial concerns remain. Further analysis to follow.

Our initial response: ➡️ rsnonline.org.uk/final-local-...

#FairFunding #DeliveringForAll

🚨Local Government Finance Settlement published. We’re reviewing the detail and will share our rural analysis and response in due course.

➡️ gov.uk/government/c...

#FairFunding #DeliveringForAll

Government pub support package falls short and leaves rural communities exposed Plunkett UK has expressed disappointment at the government’s announcement of a 15% discount on pubs’ business rates bills from April.

Community-owned pubs are keeping rural places alive – but @plunkettuk.bsky.social warns the government’s new business rates discount won’t address the pressures they face. Plunkett is calling for more ambitious, long-term support for community ownership.

➡️ plunkett.co.uk/government-p...

The #WarmHomesPlan aims to upgrade up to 5 million homes by 2030, but rural housing needs tailored solutions to make it work.
Find out more 👇
rsnonline.org.uk/warm-homes-p...

💷Rural residents will continue to pay around 20% more in council tax on average than urban residents, because of lower Government-funded spending power. (RSN analysis)
➡️ rsnonline.org.uk/rsn-serious-...
#FairFunding #DeliveringForAll

📊The Funding gap between places remains stark.
Our analysis shows the most urban councils will receive 41% more Government-funded spending power per head than the most rural in 2026–27.
➡️ rsnonline.org.uk/rsn-serious-...
#FairFunding #DeliveringForAll

Join our Team! Thank you @countrysidejobs.bsky.social for sharing this fantastic opportunity within our team.
Find out more 👇

Delivering for All Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

⏳Last chance!

Our Delivering for All survey closes tomorrow.
8–10 mins. Anonymous. Make your rural voice count.
👇

www.surveymonkey.com/r/delivering...

A fair funding formula must be transparent, evidence-based and work for rural areas too.
Read our full analysis 👇
rsnonline.org.uk/rsn-serious-...
#FairFunding #ProvisionalSettlement #DeliveringForAll #LocalGovernment

Call for Evidence: The Government is seeking evidence to inform a major review led by Alan Milburn on rising youth NEET levels.

Rural challenges, from transport to digital access, must be part of the picture.

🗓 Deadline: 30 Jan 2026
🔗 rsnonline.org.uk/call-for-evi...

📊 Taking place now: the Sparse Group (Fair Funding) meeting is discussing the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement and what it means for rural councils.
With insights from Adrian Jenkins, Pixel Financial Management
#FairFunding #RuralServices #DeliveringForAll

Council warns claims of “23% funding increase” are misleading as government shifts burden onto council tax - News Devon County Council has warned that claims of a “23% increase” in funding for Devon are inaccurate and highly misleading, following the Government’s

Devon County Council has responded to the provisional local government finance settlement, cautioning that headline claims of a “23% increase” in funding are misleading. Noting that Core Spending Power includes assumed council tax rises rather than representing new government funding.

Tackling Deprivation in Rural Areas through Community Ownership Plunkett UK has shared its insights and policy suggestions to tackle deprivation in rural areas with the Labour Rural Research Group in response to its call for evidence to inform an upcoming report on rural poverty.

Plunkett UK has shared its insights & policy suggestions to tackle deprivation in rural areas with the Labour Rural Research Group in response to its call for evidence to inform an upcoming report.

🚨With less than a week to go, we encourage members to submit their responses to the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026/27 consultation by 14 January.

➡️ consult.communities.gov.uk/local-govern...

#FairFunding #DeliveringForAll

Statement on provisional local government finance settlement 2026 to 2027

Suffolk County Council says the provisional settlement leaves it “deeply disappointed”, with a £6m budget gap which is £3.5m worse than forecast.
More ⬇️
www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/statement-on-provisional-local-government-finance-settlement-202627

Shropshire Council reacts to government’s Fair Funding Review - Shropshire Council Newsroom Shropshire Council has reacted with disappointment to the government’s recent fair funding decision which leaves it with less money

Shropshire Council has raised serious concerns about the provisional local government finance settlement, warning that the #FairFundingReview will leave rural authorities worse off.
Full response here ⬇️
newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2025/12/shro...

Early analysis of the Provisional Settlement suggests ongoing disparities:

• Urban councils could receive 41% more Gov funded spending power per head
• Rural residents projected to pay 20% more in council tax
• Funding growth: 21% urban vs 1% rural

More➡️ bit.ly/49eLxJ2

🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a warm, hopeful New Year.

Thank you for being part of our rural community. 💚

www.rsnonline.org.uk

Devolution could unlock affordable homes in rural England but only if rural priorities are written into local strategies. New research from the #RuralHousingNetwork shows how local leadership, strong partnerships & early action can make the difference. ➡️ englishrural.org.uk/devolution-r...

Our thanks to everyone who attended the RSN & RSP AGM today. It was an important opportunity to review our work over the year and agree future priorities. We are pleased to confirm Cllr Phillips has been re-elected as RSN Chair for a fourth year.

#DeliveringForAll #RuralServices

Our final RSN #MemberExclusiveSeminar of 2025 is underway, focusing on Rural Health & Care.
We're hearing from Citizens Advice, The Churchill Fellowship, @harperadamsuni.bsky.social & the Lincoln Institute for Rural & Coastal Health.
#DeliveringForAll #RuralHealth

RSN Responds To Fair Funding 2.0: Every person, in every place, deserves the same fairness and the same chance to thrive.

➡️ rsnonline.org.uk/rsn-responds...

Exciting news! The CCRI will soon be releasing ‘The Rural Climathon Toolkit’, a comprehensive guide to organising your own rural #Climathons - launching 26th Nov2025

📷 Interested? Stay tuned for the toolkit launch, coming soon...

ccri.ac.uk

Local government finance policy statement 2026-27 to 2028-29 ​​The local government finance policy statement sets out government’s proposals for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement.

We’re disappointed that today’s policy statement fails to apply the remoteness adjustment across all services. Distance & sparsity clearly increase the cost of delivering local services in rural areas. We’ll share more once we’ve examined the detail.

➡️ bit.ly/4i7lkAg

#FairFunding #RuralServices

Will rural communities benefit from the Government’s new 10-year affordable homes programme?

📌 rsnonline.org.uk/a-decade-of-...

#RuralPolicy #RuralHousing #DeliveringForAll

We’re pleased to have worked with @countrysidejobs.bsky.social to highlight how fair policy for rural workers can unlock the countryside’s potential.

Rural areas contribute £19 billion to the economy each year, yet still face higher costs and lower funding.

Read more 👇

Thank you to everyone who joined today's SPARSE Rural (Fair Funding) meeting, an engaging discussion on how remoteness impacts local service delivery and funding for rural councils.
▶️ rsnonline.org.uk/delivering-f...

#DeliveringForAll #RuralEconomy #Rural

📊The new English Indices of Deprivation 2025 include, for the first time, a Rural Supplementary Report, recognising that deprivation in rural areas can be harder to see and measure.

➡️Read more: rsnonline.org.uk/new-imd-ackn...
#RuralData #DeliveringForAll #RuralFairFunding

Thanks to everyone who joined our RSN Member Exclusive Seminar on #RuralPlanning🏡 From trees in our landscapes to planning reform, digital engagement & affordable housing , discussion was packed with insight, challenge & inspiration for shaping thriving rural places. @cprecountryside.bsky.social